Answers to "A" or "An" - pipTalk Forums

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English Workshop

Answers to "A" or "An"

Jamie
Member Elite

since 2000-06-26

Posts 3168
Blue Heaven

0 posted 2001-10-04 12:32 PM

"A" goes before all words that begin with consonants.
a cat
a dog
a purple onion
a buffalo
a big apple

with one exception: Use an before unsounded h.

an honorable peace
an honest error

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"An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:
an apricot
an egg
an Indian
an orbit
an uprising

with one exception: When u makes the same sound as the y in you, then a is used.

a union
a united front
a unicorn
a used napkin
a U.S. ship
how did you do???

There is society where none intrudes, by the deep sea, and music in its roar.
byron

Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

1 posted 2001-10-04 04:13 PM

The first three I knew.

Somehow they are "automatically" written correctly, but the last one - "When u makes the same sound as the y in you, then a is used." - I never realized. I learned something! Thanks!

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